LINK WITH THE PAST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17909, 13 October 1932, Page 8

LINK WITH THE PAST

SIBYL’S CAVES DISCOVERED ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRIUMPH (Received October 13. 2 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 12. The Times’ Rome correspondent describes one of the greatest archaeological triumphs in recent years. Professor Maiuri, Superintendent of Antiquities, discovered on the west side of Mount Cumae the cave in which the sibyl of Cumae delivered to Aeneas the oracles which predicted the foundation of Rome. Professor Maiuri, in exploring a wine cellar, discovered a corridor, exactly described in the sixth hook of Virgil's Aeneid, ending in a vaulted chamber in which tbe sibyl dwelt. . By far tbe most celebrated of the 10 recognised sibyls, Cumae figures prominently in the sixth hook of Virgil’s Aeneid as the conductor of the poet into tbe realm of tbo shades. Livy records tbe legend that she came from tbo east, appeared before King Tarquin, and offered him nine hooks for sale. The price demanded appeared Exorbitant and the king refused to purchase them. She then went away and destroyed three, and on returning asked as much for the remaining six as for tbe nine. She was again refused, whereupon she destroyed another three and once more offered to sell the remainder, still at the same price asked at’first. Tarquin was struck by her pertinacity and bought tbe books which were found to obtain oracular advices concerning the religion and nolicy of the Romans. They were preserved in a subterranean chamber of the .temple of Jupiter and were originally entrusted to two officials who alone were entitled to inspect tfiem. In the year 83 B.C. the temple of Jupiter having been destroyed by fire the original sibylline books, or leaves, were lost, but subsequently a new collection was obtained and deposited in the rebuilt temple. In 12 B.C. they were transferred to the temple of Apollo, where they remained until they were publicly burned between 404 and 4QB. Aeneas, the hero of Aeneid, after .fleeing from the Greeks when they entered Troy, collected, a fleet of 20 vessels and sailed for Thrace. After various adventures he was commanded by Jupiter to return to Italy. Ou landing there he visited tbo Cumaoan sibyl and N reported to have received from her intimations of his future destiny.